Chapter 28 (Aliyana)
“Yo Yana, things aren’t looking too good. I’m being followed, I’m going to park my car and jog to Di’s
house then head back to you guys. I’m tired of the lies Yana, we should tell the guys the truth when I
get back. They might be a target too. I''ll face the consequences. Get Elisa far away from here
soon. I’m” He stops, his breathing defeated, “I’m so sorry, Yana, I don’t know why it happened. I’m so
sorry, I don''t know why I did it... Yana.” Message ended
The urge to y it again grips me hard, but I refrain as Gabriel, Mero, and Michel stand by my bedroom
desk, the phone- Our sole object of attention.
“So, you were just going to hide it from us?” Michel barks, his voice hitting me like a rod against my
cheek. His once calm facade now filled with murderous intent.
There are times when I wish I could take it all back, the hurt, pain, and evilness that lives within us.
But nothing is going to bring him back. No amount of sorrow, tears, or honesty.
"Ren is gone."
"Gone or not. What the fuck happened, Capello?" Michel yells.
I have never seen him so enraged, I''ve never seen him so scared either.
"What happened is not going to change the oue of anything," I warn him, but I don''t know who I''m
trying to convince him or myself?
Pain and loss- There is heartache in that. And the sorrow when someone dies - it''s felt deeper when
that someone is somebody you love.
It gets worse when that person is such a deep-rooted part of you, that you feel arge portion of
yourself has died with them.
"I never wanted any of this to happen," I confess in a hollow voice I have be ustomed to these
"Yet, you let it happen," Gabriel uses me, in a quiet timber voice.
I am too scared to look at Mero and Gabriel, afraid I would find the same look currently on Michel''s face
mirrored on theirs.
There are times when I regret my choices, times when I wish to take back my words, my actions, and
one of them is this, a secret that got spun out of control.
I close my eyes, my throat thick as the saliva stuck in it remains seated, like an irritant pesticide.
“It wasn’t up to me,” I defend myself. Liese easy in situations like these.
Gabriel grips my jaw, lifting my chin to meet his cold expression. I see the betrayal in his gaze, but the
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deeper I search, I witness the understanding too, before pity and disappointment. Sometimes it isn’t
such a blessing to know someone so well that all they feel is stuck inside of you.
“That’s the thing Liya, it’s always up to you.” Gabriel drops his hand from my chin. The touch of his
fingers, his displeasure stings my skin even after his back turns to me.
"Not this time." My confession makes me weak. But it is true.
Gabriel sits on the bed, far away from where I am currently standing. Holding his head in his hands and
just remaining there. I never wanted this, no, never.
“Either way, we need to know now. What was the big secret?” Mero asks, and his voice may be calm,
but I know he is anything but.
My mouth begins moving as my mind drifts to the day that changed so much.
***
2 years ago
“How many hours does it take to put on one dress, Yana?” Ren moans as his head or something hits
my door.
Elisa giggles as she stands on the opposite end of my bed, slipping on her red bow tie shoes.
“Is he always this impatient?”
I smile as I stand in front of the mirror, appreciating the light dust of make-up I applied to my face.
Today will mark the first time I have ever stepped foot in a fraternity house.
The party happening tonight is the added bonus and thepany- the cherry on the top.
Papa would beat me until I was 3 shades of blue and 6 of purple if he knew. I am almost certain of that,
and the thrill of doing something like angering Papa to such an extent is an aphrodisiac meant to make
me shiver.
My fear of getting caught is as real as the beating I''m confident Papa would give me.
My only silver lining is the 2 girls sitting downstairs. One is Kylie Bray. I met her a few weeks back
when I was at UW. We were both applying on the same day. Ren knew her from the day before that
and introduced us.
The other girl is her cousin, Sienna Bray. I liked her instantly, and Papa seemed to like them straight off
the bat too. He was thrilled when I told him I was invited for a sleepover.
He agreed, I could go if Ren escorted me, so naturally, I agreed.
“He’s the only guy amongst 4 girls. He gets a pass today," I dere, making Elisaugh.
“A pass until we get to the house, which I''m sure is packed with boys. I can''t believe I am actually
here,” Elisa ps her hands together, twirling around in an overly cheerful giddiness I know is real.
“Believe it. Nowe on, or I''m leaving you both here.” Ren bangs on the door as Elisaughs.
I take the few steps opening the white wooden door separating Ren and us.
He gives me a once over and shakes his head when he sees the red D&G high-tops I’m wearing
instead of a high heel that should have been worn with the little ck dress.
His fitted blue denim and the red-ish blue tee is all casual and screams nothing of the boy who wears
them.
Ren turns his attention to Elisa. His eyes shift from mildly surprised to something I ignore more in
disbelief as I wasn''t in the habit of understanding Ren. Nobody could wear that title.
A few years ago, Ren wouldn''t have even acknowledged Elisa''s existence, now she''s almost one of us.
More like me, but we share pieces of ours with her. The parts we know she can handle.
The 5 of us in Chicago were named the misfits. And though the name was meant as a reminder that we
were unwee in Chicago, we wore the name with pride.
We were misfits and above thews that were sometimes used to try and rein us in. The name carried
us through high school and stuck even after we left our hellhole called Chicago. Now the name is
whispered, feared. One day the name will be as dangerous as the Shadows our world faced.